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We've already covered AMD's premium Trinity processors, but today the company got specific about what we can expect from its more price-conscious E-Series chips. These are the 1.4GHz E1-1200 and the 1.7GHz E2-1800 -- both dual-core Bobcat APUs that bring a range of improvements over last year's E-series, and which are intended for sub-$600 laptops plus perhaps the odd nettop. Despite having slightly higher clock speeds than their predecessors, the new models consume the familiar 18W TDP and still manage to claim a battery life in excess of 11 hours with Windows in idle, or around four hours of solid flash gaming (as unhealthy as that sounds).

On the graphics side, the APUs contain updated Radeon HD 7000 series GPUs, which makes them DirectX 11 capable and also compatible with OpenCL 1.1, thus allowing certain software titles to use the GPU for computation tasks. Other improvements include integrated support for SATA III 6Gb/s, USB 3.0 and SD card readers, plus HTML 5 acceleration and Metro UI optimization for Windows 8. As for what distinguishes the two options: the E1-1200 can only take DDR3-1066 memory and its GPU is clocked at 500MHz, whereas the E2-1800 can take speedier DDR3-1333 memory and deliver a maximum GPU clock speed of 680MHz. As for availability, AMD expects E-Series APU-equipped machines to roll out from OEMs such as Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba. Check out the slide deck below for more details or jump past the break for the full press release.

Any troglodytes out there who didn't know that AMD's next APU architecture is inbound? If so, we're gonna toast marshmallows outside your cave and give you a little pre-brief: Trinity will be a range of processors for "performance" notebooks and desktop PCs, which will continue in AMD's Fusion tradition of providing both the CPU and discrete-class graphics in a single-chip, power-efficient design. A potential rival to Ivy Bridge and the coming stampede of Ultrabooks? Yes indeed, although it's too early to say how closely matched these athletes will be, despite some early indications of 4GHz+ clock speeds. Judging from our recent look at a Trinity-packing Compal laptop, undercutting Ultrabooks on price will also be part of AMD's strategy -- along with throwing out Brazos 2.0 APUs to mop up the extreme low-power category. After all, Ivy Bridge probably won't offer truly discrete-class graphics until it's paired with an add-on GPU, which will inevitably bump up its price for gamers and multimedia types. If Trinity serves up great visuals and next-gen performance all in one go, AMD's accountants might be able to leave their subterranean hideouts too.

Ready for a bevy of more exotic-sounding codenames from AMD? Well, have a seat, as the maker of everyone's favorite APUs just revealed its roadmap extending through 2013. And folks, it's quite the doozy. But before we delve into its technical intricacies (which you'll find tucked after the break), we'll begin with some general takeaways. Per CEO Rory Read, 2012 and 2013 are "all about execution," with the company girding itself for the next "inflection point" where it'll excel. The key to this strategy, as he describes it, is to continue marching towards a full-SoC design that will cover a host of devices running the gamut from mainstream laptops to tablets and so-called Ultrathins, the company's forthcoming answer to Intel's Ultrabook onslaught.

During its announcement, timed to coincide with AMD's annual financial analyst day, the company also stressed its unique position wedged between Chipzilla and makers of ARM chips. Ask Read and he'll tell you that's a key advantage for AMD, that its CPU and GPU IP will bring more value through a better overall experience in the market. That's a strategy less obsessed with raw specs and sheer speed and more focused on a holistic package. Senior VP Lisa Su said AMD will aggressively enter the tablet arena this year in a big way, reiterating that AMD-based Windows 8 slates are indeed en route, though she stopped short of giving an ETA. Finally, the company's renewing its focus in the server market, as it seeks to cut a larger slice of the cloud computing pie. That's AMD's 2012 / 2013 plans in a nutshell, but if you're the kind of person who likes a few technical specifics (and who doesn't, really?) meet us after the break for a peek at what's in store.